Canale Restaurant & Bar Shutters Its Doors

It's been a hard couple of months for the restaurant world. Multiple eateries in the downtown Fort Lauderdale area have closed down for good, such as the Dubliner Fort Lauderdale and Mancini Modern Italian.

The latest casualty was the recently promising Canale Restaurant & Bar. Located in Las Olas Riverfront, we hoped it would spark the resurgence that would bring the area back to its former glory.

Overlooking the New River, the spot served simple Italian fare made with high-quality ingredients.

Owned by Genoa native and former Toronto-based restaurateur Franco Agostino, the restaurant aimed to enter the growing segment of South Florida restaurants serving authentic Italian food -- not the ubiquitous spaghetti and meatballs found at most local Italian joints.

He previously told New Times he had high hopes for the concept:

After taking some time off from hospitality to study greenhouses in Essex County, Ontario, he decided to pack up his life and relocate to Fort Lauderdale. He's well aware of the challenges the location presents -- Riverfront is mostly a ghost town at this point -- but with South Florida's growing economy, his unique cuisine, and the international vibe of the city, Agostino feels strongly that the restaurant is going to succeed.

With great food, attentive service, and a stunning view of the passing yachts, we thought (or dreamed) the concept could possibly be the start to the revival of Riverfront.

It did not survive for even two months.

While we've heard rumors blaming both the owners of the plaza and Canale owner Franco Agostino for its failure, we have yet to hear back from either party.